Dr. Peter LeWitt, a Neurologist at Henry Ford Health System, was the study author on a project which used an injected gene to the brain to help reduce the involuntary jerking movements associated with Parkinson’s disease.

“An experimental approach always needs to be proven, and this is the first step in that direction. But it is likely in the future that drug therapy will not be the mainstay of treatment. We use other means that are surgical to try and help patients and maybe some day we’ll cure the disorder in that fashion,” De. LeWitt explained.

A Jackson, Michigan man who reported symptoms so severe he could do little more than sit in a chair all day, underwent the experimental Parkinson’s gene therapy in 2009. Today, he said he is now living a much more active lifestyle after the treatments.